Cape Town Magazine – the bucket list

Greetings!

Cape Town Magazine is Cape Town’s nr 1 travel, tip and experience magazine. Besides their online magazine, they also host a fabulous insta page which provides weekly tips. Now they are not paying me for this post, I am merely a fan. Their insta page was recommended to me at the beginning of the year and through that, I found the bucket list. You may know that I have missioned around Cape Town a lot, trying to ensure that I have experienced all the best things provided by this fabulous city.

Now the bucket list that I am referring to can be found here: https://www.capetownmagazine.com/bucket-list

Two of my friends are visiting me in a few weeks and then a bunch more with my whole family in December when my graduation takes place. I sometimes pride myself in knowing Cape Town very well and am over the moon to get to show my closest people around the city. I will soon format a post about tips for packing to Cape Town, what you should be prepared for and about the basics of the life in here.

Before anyone arrives, I will have finished with the bucket list and have, at least on a Cape Town Magazine level, experienced the entire city. Not bad for a rookie tour guide. Here are some of my favourite things to do in Cape Town and some pleasant surprises from the list.

Zeitz MOCAA South African museum opened in January 2018. It is a South African museum for South Africans displaying local art and advertising the culture.

You will, of course, find wine tours and vineyards on any South African bucket list. My favourites are in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

You must experience the three big Cape Town mountains: Signal Hill (which you can fully drive), Lion’s Head which is best for sunset (around a 45 – 60 min hike) and the Table Mountain (R240 return cable car or the shortest route up Platteklip Gorge 1.45 min).

Near these mountains in the Kloofneck area of central Cape Town with several restaurants and the famous neighbourhood called Bo Kaap which deserves a stroll through. Near Bo Kaap is a hotel called the Cloud 9 which has brilliant rooftop views.

There are also two other very lovely rooftop bars in central town: The Vue and the Silo (by the Zeitz museum).

Nature wise, Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Cape Point Nature Reserve offer an opportunity to catch some fabulous fresh air with beautiful views.

And remember to have a Sunday stroll at the Newlands Forest, but don’t go alone.

You will find the famous colourful beach huts at Muizenberg beach where most Townians surf and must follow along the coast to reach Fisk Hoek, Kalk Bay, and Simon’s Town. They all spread on the coastline offering locals and tourists cute shops, tasty food, and beautiful seaside.

You must also visit the Hout Bay market on a Friday night and continue your enjoyable weekend by spending the day at the V&A Waterfront.

If you are not a beach person, you should try the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock or the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The Mills offers live music, food, and clothing markets over the weekends and caters for special events and festivals. While you are at the Mill, walk around the Woodstock neighbourhood to see the street art. The Gardens are located near the University of Cape Town and the Rhodes Memorial site. Open every day for picnics and strolls, and has open-air cinema and concert evenings.

Besides the MOCAA, there are several brilliant museums and galleries which display South African history and art. For example, the South African Museum and its Planetarium at Company Gardens in central Cape Town.

The Iziko Slave Lodge and the District Six museum which are nearby and focus on the slave and apartheid era. Near the Company Gardens is also a cafe called ‘the Big Box Cafe’ which is filled with board games from floor to ceiling to your delight.

When you need a small getaway from the busy city life, visit Hermanus, Langebaan or Mussel Bay. They all provide their own unique nature, flora and fauna. After my graduation in December, I will take my family and friends on a road trip down on the coast of South Africa. The trip will include a stop at Hermanus, a night at Plettenberg Bay, two nights at the Addo Elephant Park near Port Elisabeth and another night at the Tsitsikamma National Park before returning to Cape Town. Addo is one of the closest places to Cape Town with a huge variety of wildlife and a chance to spot the big five. If you don’t have the time or the opportunity to fly to the Kruger National Park or visit Namibia, I would recommend Addo. The coastal route there is one of the most beautiful in the world, known as the garden route. Along the way, you will drive past the highest bungee jumping bridge in the world: over 200 meters.

I hope you will have a fantastic time in South Africa and let me know if you have any questions!

Love,

Mira, the South African Finn.

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